Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Bjorling.
Hi Chris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We started by opening The Copper Hen in 2014, a farm-to-table restaurant just south of Downtown Minneapolis. In 2018, TCF Tower (now Deluxe Plaza) was looking for an anchor tenant to serve as a host in their space for their office tenants. We love hospitality and were thrilled when they wanted us to come downtown.
Initially, they were wanting another Copper Hen downtown, but we felt like creating a brand that fit the modern and fast-paced aesthetic of working professionals made the most sense, and that is how Gray Fox was born. We offer coffee and unique specialty drinks that we believe can go toe to toe with any coffee shop in the Twin Cities.
After seeing how well-received Gray Fox was at TCF, we were graciously invited to other buildings downtown including AT&T Tower and LaSalle Plaza. We are hopeful to continue expanding and serving the downtown community!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Covid was a huge challenge. It essentially shut our business overnight. Pre-covid, downtown was thriving with a bustling culture and people who would consistently gather for coffee meetings and happy hour hangouts. Through Covid, we had to figure out how to adapt to a much smaller crowd and much of the downtown culture receding away.
It was very important for us to maintain our presence, albeit for a much smaller group of people, to give something for those traveling downtown something to look forward to and brighten up their day. We were one of the few coffee shops that remained open during Covid and we’re hopeful and anxious to see the vibrancy and culture we once saw return.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Gray Fox Coffee?
We have unique rotating seasonal drinks that change monthly.
We also have this unique way to print images on the top of drinks using espresso ink which is fun and makes the Gray Fox experience unique from other coffee shops. You can see examples of the images on our Instagram @grayfoxcoffee.
Any big plans?
We are hoping to continue expanding downtown. We just signed a Letter of Intent for another space downtown for our 4th location.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.grayfoxcoffee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grayfoxcoffee/?hl=en
